Walking on a Dream
by body-eclairic
Summary: After Finn shows Rae what cigarettes taste like, they argue about how bad cigarettes are. Even though he tells Rae he doesn't care what she thinks, Finn still thinks about what she said and decides to quit smoking. How will Rae react when she realizes his nervousness and fidgeting are because he took her advice about quitting?


''And where are you going?'' Chloe squeaked, her eyes frantically searching for the answer on the gang's faces since Finn was not giving her one. He looked at her crossly and shook his head in disapproval before departing out the door. Chloe crossed her arms and leaned back in the booth, irritably gnawing on her lower lip. Those were not tears in her eyes, no- she was not at all sorry for what she said. _She was only stating the truth, why would they blame her? She suspected that Rae could get pissed about it, but never Finn. Why would he care, anyway?  
_She thought that reminding Rae of her weight once again was completely justified. However, even she had to admit that she could have done it a bit more delicately.  
They had been discussing cigarettes, and how everyone's either smoking or has smoked them- except Rae. That's where Chloe cut in and suggested that Rae should take up smoking, for it curbs the appetite and therefore has a slimming effect. Now, this was something Rae would have accepted- but that was not the end of Chloe's advice. ''And y'know,'' Chole had continued, ''Cigarettes are sexy and maybe, right, boys won't find you that disappointing..?''  
Rae had frowned and looked at the gang, who all had sour faces on. It took her a moment to fully comprehend what Chloe had said. She had expected things like this from Chloe- but suddenly she was sick of it, sick of having a friendship in which she would get casually insulted. She gulped down the rest of her beer, which was luckily just about two sips, and made a dramatic way for the door.  
''What?'' Chloe had asked, and that's when Finn stood up too.

Archie and Izzy shared a quick look and Chop cleared his throat, ''I'll go get the next round, yeah?'' he forced a smile and got up.  
''Uh- I- I can't stay,'' Izzy said, and it was true- but also a convenient excuse not to stay there: ''I need to pack, visiting my nan in Exeter tomorrow.''  
''Me too,'' Archie piped up, ''Well, not visiting her nan, but y'know- going, I have to help my mum do the washing-up,'' now, this was a lie, the only thing he could be doing was getting clothes dirty and not with his mum but a boy named Cecil from upper sixth.  
Archie smiled and Izzy waved at them as they both stood up. They walked out slowly, glancing at Chloe worriedly.  
Before Chloe could even notice Chop was gone, he was back, pint in hand.  
''Here you go,'' he said with a smile, ''I'll go say my goodbyes to Izzy, yeah? You just take it easy, I hate leaving you alone, but-''  
''No, thanks Chop- I'd like it. I'd like to be alone now, I mean,'' she smiled and nodded, raising her glass to him. The action made him smile and he saluted her before taking the same path his friends had taken just minutes earlier.

Rae was standing outside, behind the pub. She looked up and closed her eyes, sighing the word ''typical''. She felt quite bad to have stormed out and she made her mind up to go and talk to Chloe. Just five more minutes.  
It was nice out, cold and quiet, but not for long. The cold remained but the silence was broken with an ''oi' from Finn.  
''Hey,'' Rae looked at him and managed a smile. She looked down at his hand and her smile immediatelly widened.  
He frowned, ''What's so funny?''  
''Well,'' Rae said through giggles, ''Just a bit ironical that there's a cigarette in your hand, innit?''  
He smiled and rubbed the back of his head with his other hand, ''Right, yeah. Sorry,'' he said mockingly and took a drag.  
Rae looked at him for a moment.

''Let me try,'' she said and stepped forward.

''You what?'' his head snapped up and his body seemed to stiffen, ''I- no. This about what she said? I wouldn't want you.. Y'know, fags are harmful. And you're not... Y'know,'' he said bashfully.

''Not what?'' Rae frowned as she took another step forward.

''Disappointing,'' he shot out immediately, and then seemed embarrassed about it.

Rae smiled, ''I know, I'm brilliant,'' she said sarcastically, ''And with that in mind, give me a fag. I really want to try!''

Finn sighed, ''Are you completely and utterly sure?''

Rae bit her lip and nodded. Finn then took a long drag held the smoke between his tightly shut lips as he threw the cigarette onto the ground and stepped on it with his foot. He closed the distance between them and took her by her arms as he blew the smoke out gently into her face.  
Rae closed her eyes and inhaled, the cigarette smoke was horrible, but everything also smelt of Finn which was amazing. The cigarette smoke was dominant though, and soon Rae was caught up in a coughing fit. She stepped away and coughed into her hand. Before the words ''Are you alright?'' could leave Finn's mouth, Rae whispered: ''I'm fine, fine,'' and soon she was laughing again. She was a bit light-headed, but it was not the cigarettes, at least not entirely.  
''That was bloody horrible! How do you stand it?''

Finn shrugged, ''I like it, I guess you get used to it after a while.''

Rae nodded, ''Yeah, I get it. Worried about you though, I don't like you harming yourself like that,'' she realised how hypocritical she sounded, but she had to let him know. It was different when it came to people she cared about than when it was her.

Finn rolled his eyes, ''Well, you drink... and that's just as harmful,'' he said, lamely defending himself. It was hard to defend himself when he knew what Rae was saying was right, everyone knows cigarettes are not the healthiest thing in the world.

''Whatever... plus, you do to!'' she crossed her arms.

''Well I ain't going to stop smoking just because you suddenly have a problem with it,'' he said and Rae was once again reminded of how much of a prick he can be.

''Well fine, didn't ask you too..'' she rolled her eyes.

''Fine,'' he said quietly.

''I have to go,'' she said quickly. Before she left, she stepped closer to him again, ''Thank for letting me try the fag, sort of...''  
He nodded and got out of her way, and Rae started walking back into the pub.


End file.
